


No More Hiding

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Captured, Gen, Held Hostage, Magic Revealed, Merlin's Magic Revealed, Prisoners, gwen finds out about merlin's magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-05 19:51:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6720568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gwen and Merlin are captured by Morgana and Merlin has no choice but to use his magic in front of Gwen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No More Hiding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lessrest](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=lessrest).



> Written as a Christmas present, (and an early birthday present!) for the lovely lessrest who wanted Gwen finding out about Merlin's magic. 
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal in 2011.

Merlin groaned and then tried to sit up. His head was pounding and his mouth was dry. He tried to remember what had happened, but nothing would come.

“Merlin?” a familiar voice called. “Merlin, are you all right?”

Merlin focussed his attention on the voice and the fog started to clear.

“Gwen?” he said. “What happened?”

“Morgana,” Gwen said unhappily.

She was in the cell directly opposite Merlin's. There was straw scattered about the floor but nothing else, not even a bed.

They'd been travelling with Arthur and his knights into Caerleon's land at the invitation of Queen Annis, a banquet in honour of the new peace treaty with Camelot.

“The others?” Merlin asked. He squeezed forward as much as he could so they didn't have to raise their voices and Gwen did the same.

“Morgana said she killed them.”

“No,” Merlin said, shaking his head before Gwen had even finished talking. “I'd know if they were dead.”

Gwen nodded. “Me too.”

“She hasn't said what she wants with us?”

Gwen shook her head. “Ransom maybe?”

“For you,” Merlin said. “But why would she hold a servant to ransom?”

Gwen looked at him disapprovingly. “You're not just a servant. Certainly not to Arthur.”

Merlin shrugged. “Morgana might not think so. Not when she's got you.”

“She would have once,” Gwen said sadly.

Merlin didn't have anything to say to that.

* * * * * 

Merlin and Gwen soon fell into silence. It became obvious that they couldn’t force their way out of their cells – not until every other option had been worn out would Merlin use his magic – and so they found they didn't really have anything left to say.

There was a clank of metal and the main doors swung open. Merlin braced himself, expecting Morgana to appear, but instead it was a man that he'd never seen before. The man flexed his hand and lights appeared at the end of his fingertips. Gwen moved back from the door of her cell, but Merlin stayed where he was.

“You,” the man said, pointing at Merlin, “the Queen wants to see you.”

“Queen?” Merlin asked.

“Morgana Pendragon,” the man said, as if it should be obvious. He motioned for Merlin to move back, which he did as flames leaped across the door of his cell.

“Morgana is no queen,” Gwen said, and then stood up, looking to Merlin as regal as any queen he'd yet met.

Merlin scrambled to his feet too, not sure if Gwen really understood how much trouble they were in.

“You'll be bowing to her yourself before the day is out,” the man sneered. Then, he raised his arm and before Gwen could respond, he was showering her with sparks. She cried out and fell backwards to the floor. Merlin shouted and rushed at the man but he turned on Merlin with golden eyes and Merlin found himself flung against the cell wall.

Merlin grimaced and rubbed at his head as the man now entered his cell and pulled Merlin to his feet. Merlin flailed a little but promised himself that he wouldn’t cry out when he saw Gwen's worried face staring up at him.

Merlin was dragged along the corridor, up some stairs, along another corridor and then into what appeared to be a throne room.

Inside he found Arthur standing in front of Morgana and the other knights shackled to the walls.

When Merlin was manhandled into the room Arthur turned towards him and looked even more worried.

“Perhaps Merlin will be the first to pledge his allegiance to me?” Morgana suggested, her voice haughty and cruel. Merlin didn't say anything, but when the man who'd brought him there tried to trip him, Merlin neatly sidestepped and stayed on his feet.

Arthur nodded at him when Merlin was forced to stand next to Arthur.

“Gwen's okay,” Merlin told him, raising his voice enough so that Elyan and the others could hear. Arthur gave him a small grateful smile and relaxed his shoulders a fraction. Morgana stepped forward and slapped Merlin hard across the face. He stumbled a little into Arthur, who put a hand on his waist to steady him.

“I didn't give you permission to speak,” Morgana hissed.

“Why are you doing this, Morgana?” Arthur asked. “No one here will ever pledge their loyalty to you.”

“No one?” Morgana, raising an eyebrow. “Not even your little man servant?” Her eyes flashed and Merlin swallowed. He didn't know how, but he knew in that moment that Morgana knew about his magic.

“Perhaps you won't want his allegiance?” Morgana continued, circling around them both.

Arthur frowned and then looked over at Merlin, who was avoiding Arthur's eyes.

“Merlin's loyalty has never been in question,” Arthur said. He kept looking at Merlin and Merlin kept on looking anywhere but at him.

Morgana only laughed at that.

The man who'd brought Merlin there hurried over to her before she could continue.

“Majesty,” he said, “there's an army approaching.”

“An army?” Morgana repeated. “Camelot's?” She turned to glare at Arthur, who was keeping a completely blank face, though his hand had moved out to Merlin's wrist and gripped it tightly.

“No, Majesty, Queen Annis'.”

Morgana's eyes widened in surprise. “You're sure, Calton?”

Calton nodded. “The Queen has sent a messenger with a note. Shall we have him killed?” His eyes lit up in relish at the thought.

“No,” Morgana said, “I'll deal with this.” She raised her hand towards Arthur and smiled when he flinched. “Return them all to their cells.” She pointed at Merlin and then left.

Calton grinned and grabbed Merlin, pulling him away from Arthur. Arthur started to object but two more men came in and pulled Arthur away and over to where the knights were being held.

Merlin chanced a look at Arthur then, and saw how concerned he was. Merlin wished he could think of something to say, but any words of explanation got stuck in his throat and before he knew it he was back in his original cell.

Gwen got to her feet as soon as Calton had left.

“Merlin! Are you all right?”

Merlin nodded. “Yes. I'm fine”. He gave Gwen a half-smile. “Arthur's okay too. And the others.”

Gwen closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.

“She hasn't hurt them?” she asked. She opened her eyes and looked straight at him.

“No, they looked okay. Considering.” Merlin stepped closer to the door and pulled, hard. It didn't budge. “Queen Annis has sent her army. We might be caught in the middle soon.”

He heard Gwen's gasp, but didn’t look up, he was too busy trying to think of a way to get them out of there.

There was a loud, ominous sound outside that made the floor shake.

“It's started,” Gwen said. She looked over at Merlin, but Merlin was staring glumly at the lock to his cell door. “Merlin. Merlin, look at me?”

Merlin lifted his eyes to Gwen and then towards the shouting in the corridor.

“We're too easy targets in here,” Merlin said. “Morgana will use us as hostages if she can.” He didn't add that she'd let out his secret too but Gwen could see that he was holding something back.

“We’re stuck in here, though,” Gwen said. “Unless you can get us out?” She spoke very slowly as if she wasn't quite sure what she was asking, only knowing that it would change everything.

Merlin looked up at her. A calm seemed to settle around him, even though he could hear the sounds of fighting outside and feel Morgana's magic seeping into the walls.

“I have _always_ been loyal to Arthur,” Merlin said.

“I know that...” Gwen began to say, but then her voice trailed off as Merlin raised his arm to the lock, his eyes flashed gold, and the lock disintegrated.

He stood with his arm outstretched for a second before he shook himself out of it.

“Right,” he said to himself. “All right.”

He glanced at Gwen. She was staring at him but she didn't look particularly afraid. If anything, she looked angry.

Merlin didn't think they had much time to deal with that, though, so merely used his magic to unlock Gwen's cell door.

“How long?” Gwen asked, before Merlin could walk off and deal with the main door.

Merlin turned towards her and shrugged. “Always.”

Gwen stepped out of her cell and stared at Merlin as if she'd never seen him before.

“I - “ Merlin started, then stopped as there was a loud thud against the main door.

He and Gwen stood staring at it, frozen to the spot.

Another thud, and then another reverberated around the cells. Merlin stood in front of Gwen and ushered her behind him, taking up a protective stance. The door started to creak and crack, and then with one final thud it crashed open.

“You two good?” Percival asked, looking surprised to see them both out of their cells.

“Fine,” Merlin said, not bothering to hide his relief. “We're fine.”

Arthur moved into the room and smiled when he saw them both. Then he looked at Percival, as if asking him if he'd let them out.

Gwen pressed a comforting hand to Merlin’s lower back and then stepped around him.

“Morgana doesn't have very good guards,” she said.

Arthur snorted. “Or anything else.” He looked significantly at Merlin but didn’t say anything. “Come on, Queen Annis' men have created a diversion, we need to move.”

Percival lead the way out, followed by Gwen. Arthur stood still until Merlin sighed and followed them, with Arthur then taking the rear.

* * * * * 

Queen Annis had insisted that they continue to have the banquet as planned, which is why they all found themselves in one wing of her castle. They'd gone their separate ways to freshen up, and were now gathered in Arthur's room, waiting to be called to dinner.

The knights and Arthur were warming themselves by the fire. Merlin was standing by the window, looking out into the courtyard when Gwen joined him.

“I think it's time Arthur knew,” she said.

Merlin nodded. “When we're back in Camelot.”

“No,” Gwen said. “Now.”

Merlin turned to look at her, surprised.

“I won't keep up the lie for you.”

Merlin opened his mouth to object, but Gwen shushed him.

“I know why you did it. Especially after Morgana.” She put a hand on his arm and squeezed. “And I _do_ believe you're loyal to Arthur. But it doesn't change the fact that you've lied to him all the years you’ve known him. He doesn't deserve any more of this. Nor do you.”

Merlin could feel the tears pricking at his eyes. If anything he felt relief that someone else was telling him to reveal his secret to Arthur. He was starting to think that he'd never have the courage to tell Arthur himself.

“Is everything all right?” Arthur asked, having noticed Merlin and Gwen's hushed conversation.

Gwen took a step back away from Merlin, who nodded at her and steeled himself.

“Arthur,” Merlin said, “there's something I need to tell you.”


End file.
